Carnicella Leads Gamecocks in Preseason Rankings
Carnicella Leads Gamecocks in Preseason Rankings
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s tennis junior Kaitlyn Carnicella earned preseason rankings in both singles and doubles, the ITA announced today. The New Jersey native is ranked 24th in singles and pairs with freshman Daniela Piani for the No. 68 spot in doubles.
In her first season with the Gamecocks in 2024-25, Carnicella’s 18-11 singles record was second best on the team and included an 8-6 mark in the No. 2 spot in the dual-match lineup. Those results helped her to a final ranking of No. 46 and a spot on the All-SEC Second Team. In doubles action, Carnicella was part of a duo that finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation and earned ITA All-America status. Playing with four different opponents over the course of the season, she compiled a 16-11 doubles record, including a 9-2 mark against ranked opponents.
Piani joins the Gamecocks from the UK behind an ITA junior career-high ranking of No. 104 and a WTN of 14.67. She has claimed six singles and nine doubles titles in her juniors career, including three in 2025. She currently holds WTA rankings of 970 in singles and 909 in doubles. Her run to the singles quarterfinals of the W35 Nottingham in May included an opening-round win over a top-500 player and the No. 611 player in the second round.
South Carolina’s Fall 2025 schedule opens at the Debbie Southern Fall Classic at Furman on Fri., Sept. 12.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWTennis) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s tennis program.
